Have you tried turning it off and on again?
Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Nathan Lyon has confirmed he was behind the chaotic scenes during the second Test against India when the Adelaide Oval lights went off twice in the space of an over.
The incident occurred on the first evening of the Test match as Australia’s top order looked to survive a nervy session facing the pink ball under lights.
While some theories suggested there was an issue with the electricity supply, it turns out the lights went out because Lyon and some other potential nightwatchmen wanted to have a practice hit.
Lyon has served as Australia’s nightwatchman for many years and he explained he went to face some throwdowns in the Adelaide Oval nets, only for his request to wreak havoc.
James Brayshaw said to Lyon on Seven’s coverage: “It led back to me that the lights went off twice and you were the reason for that because you’re the nightwatchman and you wanted to go out and have a hit.
“So you said to the bloke, ‘Put the lights on in the nets so I can have a hit’, and he hit the wrong button twice and turned the whole ground lights off.”
Speaking during the rain delay on Day 1 of the third Test at the Gabba, Lyon confirmed the incident had involved himself, Australian assistant coach Andre Borovec and a security guard.
“I couldn’t believe that,” Lyon began.
“I was actually with our assistant coach ‘Boro’, sitting out there in the dark and the security guard asked us, and we said, ‘If you could put the lights on that’d be great, I need all the help I can get’. Then next minute it went off.
“I literally said to Boro, ‘I reckon he’s hit the wrong switch’. We sat out in the dark there for about 15 minutes waiting to have a hit.
“I’ll take that one, getting blamed for someone not knowing how to turn the lights on.”
It was a wild evening session as Mohammed Siraj didn’t take kindly to Marnus Labuschagne stepping away from the pitch at the last minute because a fan carrying a massive beer snake was blocking the sight screen.
But it was a fairly uneventful second Test in Adelaide for Lyon, who bowled just one over for the match and faced six balls with the bat as Australia levelled the series with a dominant 10-wicket win.
The 37-year-off spinner has 532 Test wickets to his name, trailing Glenn McGrath by 24 wickets for the second spot on the list of all-time Australian wicket takers.
He has the eighth most Test wickets of any bowler in Test history and is just five scalps behind India’s Ravi Ashwin, who was omitted for the third Test.
Discussion about this post